Category: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

Traveling to ‘The Key’, home to the Four Mage Towers of Thay, would be a three day journey.

Fortunately it would be Grasslands, so the traveling wouldn’t be too tough, but that doesn’t mean I won’t encounter creatures and/or travelers.

But it was just me and my snow tiger cub, Sherwood, and though I apparently have innate Magical abilities, I have not mastered, nor truly harnessed them…

…which is the reason I’m traveling to The Key, in hopes to become an Apprentice to one of the Four Mages, each in their own tower surrounding the giant lake.

Truth be known, I should probably hire a Mercenary to protect me for now, but I’d be very fortunate indeed to run into one along the way.

As I am not near a town, where a Tavern might deliver one.

On my first day of traveling, I came across two men that looked slightly shady…

Fortunately I was able to sneak by them while they got water from a nearby stream.

As it neared night, I also came across a Snow Leopard who was eating a recent kill, and once more was able to avoid an encounter.

That first night at camp, however, I would not be so lucky.

As I sat by the fire, starting to doze off, a rock flew into the camp, striking me on the side of the head.

I was bleeding, but otherwise ok.

Sherwood growled his little cub growl, but I suspect it did little good, as a screaming Goblin came tearing into the light!

I quickly grabbed my staff, and indicated that he should leave via body language.

He did seem to hesitate for some reason, perhaps it was my boyish charm, as I was only 19.

I put down my staff, and tossed him a piece of cooked meat on a stick.

He ate it, gave me a fierce glare, then traveled on.

I was lucky, (Oz looks at his hands), or perhaps he was.

The next day I ran into a Patrol of three swordsmen, who served ‘The Key’…

They told me I was heading the right direction, but had no information about where I might find a Mercenary, other than the Forest town of Dilee, some seven days away, or the Southern Port town of Jor, also about seven days away, both in the wrong directions.

Later I saw an enormous Mammoth, something I had never seen before, and I admit, the taste of the life of an Adventurer suddenly found its’ way in to my brain.

An Adventurer… Hmm

That night while I was dosing off once again while sitting at the fire, I heard a noise outside my camp.

I stood, staff in hand, “Who’s there?”

…but there was no reply.

I sat back down, when suddenly that same Snow Leopard wandered slowly into my camp.

Sherwood ran towards him right away, “Sherwood! No!”

Sherwood rolled on his back beneath the Snow Leopard, and started batting at his forelegs, as a kitten might do.

But the Snow Leopard didn’t seem to pay it any mind.

He instead just stood there staring at me…

An insane impulse hit me, and suddenly I sat the staff down, and sat back down at the fire…

…and then the most amazing thing occurred.

The Snow Leopard stepped towards the campfire, and as he did, he took the form of a man…

A white haired, yellow eyed, man.

“May I,” he spoke, gesturing towards the fire.

“Of course,” I replied, and he sat across from me.

“You are an interesting one…” he spoke.

“Thank you,” I replied, as I continued to cook some vegetables and meat on a stick.

“Are you hungry?” I asked, but he nodded no.

“A young man, traveling with a cub Snow Tiger, who does not flinch at a Snow Leopard turning into a man…” spoke the now man.

“I have read about your kind… Fascinating,” Oz replied.

The man smiled, “Then you’re a scholar?”

Oz laughed as well, “Not quite… I mean… Not yet.”

This got the man’s attention, “Ah, then you’re a Mage, heading to the Four Towers?”

Standing before Hex, Kredon and Shaehun is The Drow Ranger, ARCHUS CULIVEER.

“Don’t all say hello at once,” speaks Archus as he sparks a stick and rock, and tosses it in the prepared pile of wood and brush…

…it lights up in a roar.

“It will be dark soon, so we’d best figure out a Watch,” he finishes.

“But you’re a…” Hex starts, but stops himself.

“A Drow, yes, but I suspect you’ve seen worse, judging by that rascal of a blade at your side,” Archus speaks with a menacing smile.

Shaehun approaches, and locks arms with Archus, “Archus!” she seems surprisingly happy to see him…

…even Archus takes note, “Hello Shae, good to see you’re still breathing, word had it you’d considered giving such trivialities up…” he smiled again, pulled his bow off his back, “I’ll take first watch,” and disappeared into the trees.

“That–” started Kredon.

“–is an amazing being,” finished Shaehun, who then realized she was making too much of Archus, and turned towards the fire.

“You two get some sleep, you’ll need it, I’m going to stay up, take second watch when Archus comes in,” she speaks without room for negotiation.

Hex looks at Kredon and shrugs, “So be it,” he then throws some things into a pot, and puts it over the fire,”but first, we eat”.

TWO HOURS LATER

Shaehun joins Archus in a tree which he watches from.

“So who is this guy Shae, that you’d bring him to the Brigadeers?” Archus asks without taking his eyes off the watch.

“A Warlock… Lord of Talabus to be specific…” she replies.

“You know these words mean nothing to me, why have you brought him?”

“The Tear of Asmodeus directed him to find me… And beyond that, call it a feeling,” she explains.

“A feeling,” Archus says with a slight laugh.

“Is Araban at home, or off saving the world again?” Shaehun says with a laugh herself.

Archus smiles, this time softer, “The noble blowhard is there… Every last scale,” they both laugh.

MORNING

Hex wakes early, and goes quickly into a trance.

Magic that fills me… I know not what your purpose is, or how you might react to serving this blade… I will do my best not to taint you

TAINT YOU… I COULD BE OFFENDED BY THIS, SHOULD I DESIRE… BUT I DO NOT

I know nothing of you Blade… Only that I am bonded to you, and you are bonded to Asmodeus

I AM ALIVE, MORTAL… THAT’S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

“Good morning my Lord,” speaks Kredon as he runs his hands through his thinning hair, “breakfast?”

Hex nods.

Archus walks into camp, but Shaehun is no where to be seen.

“Shae will meet us at the base,” he says.

“Base?” Hex stands, and looks a bit surprised.

“You’ll see soon enough… For now, we need to get out of these woods, those Clerics will search them soon enough,” and with this Archus reaches down and grabs a piece of bread from near the fire.

THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE KORNDOR FOREST

The six Night Watch Clerics, two Elven Rangers and Cormick stand near what appear to be tracks leading into the woods.

“About 18 hours ago I’d say, but they may have made camp,” speaks the first Ranger.

“I still don’t understand why you didn’t join us in Angolo?” speaks one of the Night Watch.

“I need Hex to trust me… By my not showing up, he may have doubts that I was actually involved,” he explains openly.

“Can you take my men in there?” Cormick asks the two Wood Elf Rangers, they look at one another, and shake their heads.

“There’s a Drow Ranger known as Archus Culiveer in there… It’s his territory, and he wouldn’t take kindly to a couple Wood Elves entering it,” the second Ranger explains.

“Very well,” Cormick hands them a purse of gold coins, and the two of them make there way down the road.

“My brother… He was captured by an enemy Barbarian Clan… The Nors, as they’re called… But there were too many of them… Maybe 12, or 15… So out of desperation I prayed to our Gods that they might aid me… But none answered… So I prayed to someone else,” with this Shaehun’s eyes look blacker than ever.

“Asmodeus…” interjected Kredon.

Shaehun looked at the large man, and nodded.

“Enter the Tear of Asmodeus… There it was, just sticking in the ground outside the Nors camp… The most beautiful blade I had ever seen… And the way it felt, like—” she explained, but Hex finished her sentance.

“–it was made for you, and only you.”

Shaehun looked at Hex,”Yes.”

“How did you part from the blade?” questioned Kredon.

“Well… This blade did indeed aid me in freeing my brother, leaving some 7 of the Barbarians slain, the two of us fled… We drank, we laughed, we were young again… That is… Until he asked to see the blade.”

“Did you let him?” asked Hex.

“Well… See, yes… But not touch… And this raged him… He emplored me to let him hold it, and I refused… I could already feel its’ darkness filling me from the 7 kills I had used it for… Something in me was changing.”

Hex looked uneasy, “Well… I don’t know about the two of you, but I need to get some rest, I shall get us all rooms,” with this he stood, and went to the Inn Keeper.

Shaehun normally wouldn’t let a man buy her a room, but this was different.

She looked at Kredon, “He hasn’t killed with it yet, has he…”

Kredon bowed, and shook his head no.

“Alright then, each of you have a room, goodnight,” he spoke, and was gone…

…but he would not sleep that night.

Instead when he closed his eyes, he saw the dark blue eyes of Tyedra in the Talabus church.

You Have Two Options Hex… Serve The Tear Of Asmodeus

Or Serve Asmodeus Directly

His words rang through him like a cold knife.

BAM BAM BAM!

Came from Hex’s door, and when he opened it, Kredon stood in the hallway.